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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Beautiful Mums

My first year attempt at growing these specialty mums. I don't think I got the ones I ordered. I bought about 13 starts and very few turned out to be what I ordered. I'm a little iffy on ordering next year, which would be springtime. But I have to say that these mums have potential beyond the job I did this year. They require cultivation more than most flowers I grow. Pruning at a certain time to 6"
Then feeding with osmocote, then feeding with high phosphorus, constant debudding, and not allowing new stems to grow. The goal is one great large flower to a plant.
I admit I don't care if they are giant flowers, they are very beautiful and provide luscious fall color.

Notice the petals curve inward, like a good leader leans into his people.
( It is said in Chinese literature about these flowers, which were emancipated from a lonely form of one flower, a single yellow fall flower, to become just one of thousands cultivated thus far).
The history is very interesting.

They're amazing flowers, and the varieties are endless.

Click to enlarge. These are iPhone photos. (G3)

This one looks so much like the light shining through a lemon.

Click on this to see the way the flowers petals are translucent.

This is what happens if you don't dis-bud

"The flowers that we grow originally come from China and have been cultivated as a herb since 1500 BC. Historically, chrysanthemums have been documented as far back as the 8th century AD in Japan.

In fact, it is so important that the Emperor of Japan has a chrysanthemum for his official seal. It is a 16-petal golden disk. The physical throne of the Emperor is called “The Chysanthemum Throne.” The Ming Dynasty of China used the chrysanthemum in their art and lacquer ware."